Prison officials seize Rolito Go’s cell phone

An official of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) yesterday said they would look into the list of contact numbers stored in the cellular phone confiscated yesterday from convicted killer Rolito Go to ensure that he is not conducting any illegal business while in detention.

In an interview with The STAR, NBP Superintendent Francisco Abunales said: "We were able to confiscate a cellular phone and P400,000 from Mr. Go. We will browse through the list of contact numbers and messages to determine if he had been engaged in any illegal business. The money, on the other hand, will be deposited to the NBP cashier."

However, Abunales said the money recovered during the 2:30 a.m. raid on the Building 8 of the maximum security compound might have been used to pay for the miniature bottled ship units made by the inmates. Go has been buying these products and selling them outside the NBP.

Go shot and killed engineering graduate Eldon Maguan during a traffic altercation in San Juan in 1990.

"We need to conduct more frequent raids at the NBP. We can do it either weekly or twice a week as part of our campaign to rid the compound of all contraband items. It the past, the raids had resulted in the confiscation of liquor, illegal drugs, gambling paraphernalia and bladed weapons," Abunales said.

To discourage inmates from smuggling cellular phones inside their cells, officials are planning to purchase and install "frequency jammers," which would prevent cellular signals from reaching the compound. Each jammer cost between P15,000 to P20,000. The maximum security compound has 11 buildings.

The NBP has intensified their campaign since the assumption into office of new Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Dionisio Santiago a month ago. Apart from Go, Building 8 inmates, include Sputnik Gang members, ex-Mayor Rey Yap and Hubert Webb.

Santiago told The STAR they would conduct more raids. "By doing so, we will be sending strong signals to wrongdoers."

Santiago said he was pleased that no drugs and only a few bladed weapons were discovered during yesterday’s raid.

The 20-man raiding team was made up NBP personnel and Scout Rangers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. By combining forces, the BuCor head said, they have started to slowly conduct a reliability check among their personnel.

The result of yesterday’s raid would be presented to the Board of Discipline (BoD). Prohibiting visitation rights may be one of the sanctions to be considered by the board.